Damon Runyon Researchers

Meet Our Scientists

Kara L. McKinley, PhD

Dr. McKinley studies how cells change their shape and behavior to build the complex structures that comprise mammalian organs. Cellular behaviors that occur during embryonic development are frequently co-opted by cancer cells during tumorigenesis and metastasis. Her goal is to understand how the machinery within cells drives changes in tissue architecture in a developmental context, generating new insights into how these cellular processes are corrupted during cancer progression.

Project title: "Mechanisms and functions of cellular rearrangements in epithelia"

Institution: University of California, San Francisco

Award Program: Fellow

Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Ronald D. Vale, PhD

Cancer Type: All Cancers

Research Area: Cell Biology

Our Strategy at Work

With Damon Runyon’s help, cancer researchers have made incredible breakthroughs in the last 70 years.